My Fair Lily (35 page)

He was stopped short by Gabriel’s groaning laugh. “Let him go, Graelem. He isn’t the problem. She is. Daisy will speak to her, find out what she really wants.”

Julian nodded. “They’ll all speak to her. I’ll ask Rose to call one of
their sisters meetings and talk it out.” He slapped Ewan on the
shoulder, and though his smile was amiable, his next words were
not. “You’d
better hope she accepts your proposal. We’ll have to cut out
your
heart if she doesn’t.”

Ewan nodded.

He’d done the deed. He was willing to face the consequences. Did she wish to remain with her family? Or return to the Highlands
with him? He’d heard her heartfelt words to her father a few moments ago.
I never want to be parted from you again
.

A sick feeling rose in Ewan’s gut.

Was he going to lose Lily?

“LILY, ARE YOU CERTAIN?”
her sister asked once they were safely back home and her mother assured that she had not been harmed. The gentle warmth of her mother’s embrace, soon followed
by her usual
fluttering and fussing, lightened Lily’s heart. While her mother had gone off in her usual dither to order tea and Lily’s favorite lemon
cake, she and Dillie had returned to the bed-chamber they’d shared for most of their lives. “We can beg out of tonight’s recital.”

Lily flopped onto her bed, wishing her arms were large enough
to embrace their entire townhouse and all its inhabitants, even all the inhabitants of Chipping Way, her favorite street in all of London. Not only was it beautifully quaint, but their neighbors were
generous and
charming. Lady Eloise Dayne had been a wonderful friend to all the Farthingales ever since they’d moved here. Even General Allworthy had been kind to them in his own curmudgeonly way. “No, it’s
important that you and I appear together, Dillie. You heard what Mother said about the rumors circulating.”

Dillie frowned. “That you’d eloped with Ashton! I know who started that ugly rumor, and mark my words, if Corky MacCorkstopper dares to rear her ugly head at Lady Finchley’s
recital, I’ll knock it clean off her shoulders.”

Lily couldn’t help but laugh. “You needn’t do anything so drastic. I’ll appear, play my harp abominably, and that’s the best way to halt the rumor.” As their moment of merriment died down,
she yawned.

Dillie sat on the bed beside her. “I’m so thoughtless! You must
be exhausted and I’m keeping you up with needless chatter. Here, let me tuck you in. Do you need anything? Other than for me to stop
talking and leave you alone to rest?”

Lily laughed. “Just a hug. And if you dare tell anyone I asked it of you, I’ll deny it and accuse you of being a fiend. Everyone knows you’re the evil twin, anyway.”

Her sister did as asked. “I love you. My heart ripped in half when I thought you were lost to us. It was as though the most important part of me was suddenly gone. And if you dare tell anyone I said this, I’ll deny it and accuse
you
of being a fiend.”

“You’re the best sister ever.”

Dillie rolled her eyes. “It’s about time you figured that out.” But after a moment, she sobered. “Ewan was so worried about you. If he hadn’t noticed your disappearance when he did, who knows what might have happened? He tried to play down the importance of his rescue, but I know he would have followed you into the bowels of hell to get you back. I think he’s fallen in love with you. Did he say anything to you at the inn?”

Lily felt the jolt of heat to her cheeks, and turned her face toward her pillow to hide her blush. “He didn’t say he loved me.”

“Well, his actions showed it.”

He’d made love to her. Not said he loved her. Then he’d puffed out his chest and said he’d marry her, as though he were doing her a favor. She didn’t need anything from him. Not his delicious kisses.
Not his
strong, protective arms to hold her. Not his dangerous smile to melt her heart. “Dillie, we’ll talk about it later.” She rolled away and
buried herself in the comfort of her covers.

Her sister sighed. “Of course. I’ll wake you in time for the recital.”

***

Ewan reached Lotheil Court in the late afternoon, his body sore
and his heart aching. He’d settled Lily in the Farthingale carriage and stuffed Jasper beside her for the ride back to London earlier this morning. The hairy beastie, delighted to ride in comfort, had rested his head on Lily’s lap and promptly gone back to sleep. Lily’s father
and
sister had been forced to share the seats opposite Lily and the big
lump beside her. “We’ll take care of Jasper,” Dillie promised, though Ewan hadn’t been worried about him. Lily was his concern. “The children will love him. He’ll be in good hands until you return.”

After seeing them off, he’d led her brothers-in-law to the
Mortimer
residence in Maidstone, left them under George Farthingale’s
capable
direction, and then returned to London on his own. Hades made swift time, and he was glad of it. He needed sleep. He needed time
to think
about Lily... not that she was ever
off
his mind. He needed to court
her, somehow convince her that he truly loved her.

His grandfather was waiting for him when he strode into the house. “How is the girl?”

“I don’t know who you mean.” How much did his grandfather know of Lily’s disappearance?

“Edgeware told me all that’s happened. In confidence, of course. You can count on me to keep it to myself. I’m asking after Lily Farthingale. How is she?” The old man appeared tired, and looked
somehow different, as though beaten down by life.

“She’s fine.”

“Truly? Ewan, I must know.”

“She’s perfect.” And he was an idiot for not telling her so.

“No thanks to me,” his grandfather said with an ache Ewan never
expected to hear. “Come into my study. There’s something I must tell
you.”

He meant to decline, but he had never seen his grandfather so openly distraught. He followed him in as requested, hesitating a moment when the old man gestured toward the two oversized chairs beside the fireplace. Ordinarily, Ewan would have remained standing like a proud, stubborn Scot and probably tossed an
insulting comment at the old man. It was time he behaved himself as his father would
have wished. He settled into one of the chairs without protest. His
grandfather settled into the other and slowly rubbed a hand across
his aged brow and let out a heavy sigh. “Ewan, I’m to blame for
what happened to the girl.”

He leaned forward, his body tense. “How?”

“She’s been a thorn in the Royal Society’s side for years now. We
all knew she’d been working on that baboon monograph of hers, comparing us to a colony of monkeys. We’re scholars, men of
science,
and considered it thoroughly insulting. She wanted to send the monograph to Sir William Maitland.”

“I know. She told me.” Ewan felt his anger rising, for he recalled
the sparkle in Lily’s eyes when she spoke of her research. The very scholars who should have been cheering her on were the ones plotting to undermine her good work.

His grandfather shook his head. “Needless to say, we on the board of directors were furious. We resolved to do all in our power to discourage the little upstart.”

Ewan opened his mouth, preparing to insult the unworthy lot of them, but his grandfather held him off. “I know what you must
think of us. What you must think of me. We were wrong to dismiss her talent, but that isn’t all I did. You see, I learned a few days ago that Ashton Mortimer intended to quietly circumvent the ban I’d
placed on Lily
and the presentation of any of her work. I knew they had
collaborated
on several papers, and in my heart I knew she’d done most of the brilliant work. Ashton doesn’t have the intellect. He’s a dullard, and he couldn’t have obtained membership in the Royal Society without her help.”

“Which Lily readily gave. She’s generous that way.”

His grandfather paused a moment and shook his head. “I was furious that he’d disobeyed my instructions, so I dismissed him from the Royal Society yesterday afternoon. He was devastated, begged me
to reconsider, for he’d secured funding for an expedition to
Madagascar and feared he’d lose it once word got out. I refused, and that must have sent him over the edge.”

Ewan ran a hand raggedly through his hair. He wanted to wrap his fingers around his grandfather’s neck and choke the life out of him, but in truth, the old man could not have known what Ashton
intended. “He had Lily’s abduction planned long before you dismissed him. I’m sure now that the attack on her at Tattersalls was his first attempt at it. As for his expedition, I don’t think it ever
existed other than in his distorted imagination.”

His grandfather gazed at him, silent for a long moment as he considered Ewan’s words. “I’m still to blame. I was so intent on breaking the girl’s spirit that I gave no thought to who else I damaged along the way. Ewan, you must believe I never intended any harm to befall her.”

His grandfather was referring to physical harm and still had no understanding of the many other ways a person could be damaged. Looking at his grandfather, he suddenly wondered about his youth and the treatment he’d received while growing up. It didn’t absolve him of the harm he’d done to Evie and Desmond, or the attempted harm to Lily, but the old man did appear genuinely sincere. Ewan
didn’t know him well enough to tell for sure, but his instincts rarely guided him wrong. “There’s a way to make matters right. You banned her from the thing she loves most in the world. You broke her heart.”
As I did.
“Allow her to attend the Royal Society lectures.
Publish her monograph. Make her your first female member.”

“She can attend the lectures, but as for the rest of it, she’s just a girl
and will soon have much to distract her attention. A husband,
children.”
He shook his head and sighed. “You ask for more than I can give,
Ewan. She’ll be satisfied to be allowed back in.”

Ewan rose, his fists curled in anger, though it was mostly aimed at himself. He’d treated her no better than those old fossils. They’d
merely wanted to control her ideas. Ewan had wanted to control all of her, expecting her to give him everything while he held himself back. He must have sounded as dismissive as his grandfather
sounded now. “Just a girl? She’s Lily. There isn’t another like her in all of England.”

The old man eyed him speculatively, then let out a bark of laughter. “You’re in love with a
Sassenach
. What are you going to do about it?”

“The right thing. The best thing. I’ve asked her to marry me.”

Whatever he expected from his grandfather, it certainly wasn’t to see the old man break down and weep. “Thank goodness,” he said in a ragged whisper, unashamed of the tears welling in his eyes and suddenly spilling down his cheeks.

“Grandfather?”

“I’m proud of you, Ewan. You didn’t make the same mistakes I did. I’ve always been an arrogant bastard, and when you first came to Lotheil Court, I thought you were just like me. But you’re not. You’re able to bend, to admit you were wrong and move on.”

“Grandfather—”

“I almost killed the woman you love because of my arrogance! After all these years, I still haven’t learned a single, damn lesson in
life. I’ve made everyone around me miserable, Evangeline and
Desmond most of all. Lily’s right. I deserve to die alone in this mausoleum.”

“She didn’t mean it. She isn’t the sort to wish ill on anyone.”

He brushed a tear off his cheek as he nodded. “I tried to bribe her. Did she tell you that?”

Ewan frowned. “No.”

“I demanded her help in making us a family again. I couldn’t
just ask her, couldn’t imagine the girl would do it as a favor to me, for I’d never done a blasted thing to help her out. So I offered to make her the first female member of the Royal Society as reward if she succeeded. She looked at me as though I’d grown two heads.
Never responded to my offer.”

Despite his turmoil, Ewan grinned. This was so like Lily, the good-hearted girl who didn’t understand about the underbelly of life and its
base, human temptations. Her natural instinct was to nurture and
encourage. She must have been so confused by the illogic of the offer that she’d simply ignored it.

“The worst part about it is that I lied. I had no intention of ever
making her a member. In truth, I can’t do it. Neither my rank nor my influence on the board will ever break the fear and animosity in the hearts of our members. They’ll never accept a woman as their equal.”
His shoulders sagged and he buried his face in his hands. “Ewan, I’m
sorry.”

He never thought to hear those words from his grandfather. Not ever in this lifetime. In return, he did something he never thought he’d do in this lifetime. He reached over and hugged his grandfather.

***

Lily’s heart was in her throat as she and Dillie entered Lady Finchley’s salon and directed the butlers to set her harp (that horrid
instrument of torture she’d tried to break at least a dozen times without success) beside the piano. Dillie placed her sheets of music on the piano, so obviously eager to play that Lily felt deeply sorry
for her. They
hadn’t rehearsed nearly as much as they ought to have this
afternoon after she’d awoken from her nap. Not that Dillie needed to work on the pieces. She knew them by memory, didn’t need a sheet of notes to guide her nimble fingers over the ivory keys.